Frank Farian, Music Producer Who Created Milli Vanilli and Boney M, Dies at 82
Frank Farian, the influential electronic music producer, composer and founder of the German/Caribbean disco funk ensemble Boney M, and the man behind the creation of the notorious pop duo Milli...
View ArticleJon Batiste on Being a Dual Grammys and Oscars Contender — Again! — and the...
If something about this weekend’s 66th annual Grammys look familiar to you, credit Jon Batiste and his armful of nominations. Same goes for March 10’s Oscars ceremony. In the run-up to the 2024...
View ArticleWayne Kramer, Influential MC5 Co-Founder and Guitarist, Dies at 75
Wayne Kramer, the co-founding guitarist and composer of Detroit’s punk band MC5, whose social activism carried on throughout his lengthy solo career, died on Friday at 75. The news was confirmed on...
View ArticleLaurie Anderson on Her Surprising (to Her) Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award:...
When the Recording Academy’s list of its 2024 lifetime achievement awardees was announced on Jan. 5, the name “Laurie Anderson” was most surprising to one of its recipients: Laurie Anderson. “The...
View ArticleThe ‘My Way’ Story: The Song’s Unlikely Journey From France to David Bowie,...
Las Vegas was built on glitter, risk and razzle dazzle and the organizers of this year’s Super Bowl were wise to pay tribute to the man who arguably played the biggest role (besides Benjamin “Bugsy”...
View ArticleDr. Dre, a Defiant One, Goes From Compton Streets to Receiving His Hollywood...
From the distinction of becoming hip-hop’s first billionaire to being honored with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star this week, the accomplishments and confidence of the man born Andre Young — aka...
View ArticleJames Blake Partners With Subscription Service Vault to Address Streaming...
After a handful of social media rants on the fairness of royalty payment structuring in the music industry, James Blake has announced his participation in the launch of Vault, a direct artist-to-fan...
View ArticleMetro Boomin and Future Look to Marry Their Respective Styles, With Mixed...
Mixing the business of trap and the pleasure of friendship is what unites mumble-rapper Future with cinematic producer Metro Boomin. With “We Don’t Trust You” marking the marquee collaborators’...
View ArticleJohn Sinclair, Former MC5 Manager and Counterculture Activist, Dies at 82
John Sinclair, the counterculture activist and former MC5 manager who helped define that proto-punk ensemble’s radical politics, died on Tuesday at 82. Sinclair’s death from congestive heart failure at...
View ArticleDennis Thompson, MC5 Drummer and Last Surviving Member, Dies at 75
Dennis Thompson, whose powerhouse drumming drove the MC5, has died, according to the Detroit Free Press. The MC5 were one of the most aggressive and politically active bands of the 1960s and their...
View ArticleWillow Smith Looks Ahead to Touring With Childish Gambino, Looks Back on...
When we last heard from Willow — the mononymous title for Willow Smith, daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith — she was bald, boldly rocking out, and conquering the prog-power-pop game with 2022’s...
View Article‘Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza’ Docuseries Celebrates the Alt-Rock...
With the arrival of the Paramount+ documentary miniseries “Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza,” alt-rock fans who attended the era-defining Lollapalooza festival in its national heyday will experience a...
View ArticleRoots Picnic 2024 Unites Old School and New With Lil Wayne, Shaboozey, Andre...
With the Jay Z-curated “Made in America” festival canceled for the second year in a row, Philly natives the Roots’ annual Roots Picnic at the Mann in Fairmount Park is now the only game in town when it...
View ArticleOn Maya Hawke’s New Folk-Pop Album, ‘Chaos Angel,’ She Embraces Musical Drama...
Singer, songwriter and actor Maya Hawke speaks quickly, but thoughtfully, when discussing her new musical work. It’d be natural to think there’s a sense of haste at work, when she’s talking to Variety...
View ArticleBilly Joel Joined by Axl Rose for ‘Highway to Hell’ as He Hits the Highway...
From Elvis at the International to Adele at Caesars Palace, other artists have staked their claim to a single spot out with lengthy residencies out west, but no one’s become as legendary for doing it...
View ArticleJack Russell, Great White Vocalist and Founding Band Member, Dies at 63
Jack Russell, the raw silken co-founding lead vocalist of the glam metal band, Great White, died on Thursday at the age of 63. His death was confirmed on the musician’s social media. In July, the...
View ArticleOasis at War: Liam and Noel Gallagher’s 10 Biggest Fights
After weeks of gradually escalating rumors, it seems the long-awaited Oasis reunion finally was announced on Tuesday morning. Liam and Noel Gallagher, the two estranged, famously feuding brothers...
View ArticleSergio Mendes, Brazilian Bossa Nova Music Innovator, Dies at 83
Sergio Mendes, the innovative and influential pianist, composer and arranger who was one of Brazil’s earliest contemporary crossover artists, died Thursday in Los Angeles, his family has confirmed. No...
View ArticleFrankie Beverly of Maze, Singer of R&B Classics ‘Back in Stride,’ ‘Can’t Get...
Frankie Beverly, the stylish singer, songwriter and founder of the R&B/funk band Maze, whose baritone voice drove such ‘80s hits as “Back in Stride,” “Too Many Games,” “Before I Let Go” and “Can’t...
View ArticleThe Cure Creates an Unrelentingly Sad and Singular Universe on ‘Songs for a...
If I told you 40 years ago, when the Cure was in the midst of its new-wave wonder moment, that the band would craft an inventively elegiac epic like “Songs for a Lost World” — a singular record worthy...
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